Child&#39;s swing



March 13,'1945.- A DYE JR CHILD S SWING Filed Nov. 15, 1945 I CENTER or 6R4 wry t mid-M... 1a, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I 2,371,384 I I GHILDS SWING Ralph A. Dyer, Jr., Hampden, Maine Application November 15, 1943, Serial No. 510,377

. 2 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in toys and more particularly to a. child's swing which is so constructed as to give the effect of a hobby horse when in operation.

One of the principal objects of the invention resides in so constructing the swing that the child operating the same mayuse both its feet and its hands to start and stop the swinging action and at the same time effect a rocking movement similar to the action of a horse in motion.

A further object of the. invention resides in suspending the device from ropes or the like which are of equal length and arranged vertically parallel-one to the other so that when the device is swung forwardly the rear end thereof will lift or move upwardly and the forward portion dip downwardly, giving th device the efiect of a horse in motion.

A further object of the invention resides in designing the device to resemble in some respects a horse so that a child may straddle same and effect a swinging and rocking motion in one operation.

A still further object resides in provides a device of the character mentioned which is simple and durable in construction and one which will be very efficient in operation. 1

With these and numerous other objects in view,

- my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter referred to and more a particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application,

Figure l i a side elevation of a device con-- structed in accordance with my invention, the suspension ropes being broken away,

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same,

Figure 3 is a rear elevation thereof, and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the swinging movementof the device with respect to the center of gravity.

' for pivotal movement between the furcations of the base i through the medium of a bolt 4 extending through the members i and 3, as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawing.

The pivotal connection between the bar 3 and the base or support i is such that said bar projects to a greater extent above the base than below the same, the shorter extension below the base having secured thereto the foot support 5 which extends on both sides of the bar 3, so that both feet-0f the person on the seat 2 may rest thereon.

In order to give the device the appearance of a horse or similar animal, so as to be attractive to children, a panel 6 is provided and supported in a slot or groove in the front wall of the bar 3 to project forwardly therefrom, the upper portion of said panel being cut and designed to represent the head of the animal, as shown at i. To carry out the efiect of the design of a horse, a rope or the like 8 is extended through an opening 9 at the mouth of the head i and looped around the upper end of the bar 3 to represent reins. A dowel it projected through the bar 3 adjacent its upper end to form handle pieces supports the rope or reins in normal position, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing.

The rear end portion of the base or support i is also bifurcated and receives therein the lower end of an upstanding panel or the like it which is designed to represent the tail of a horse. This tail piece or panel H is permanently secured between the furcations of the rear end of the element l by means of the transversely extending bolts [2.

The tail piece or panel H extends upwardly above the base member 5 the same distance the bar 3 extends thereabove, when said bar is in vertical position'and holes I3 and it are provided, respectively, in the bar 3 and tail piece I l at substantially the, same distance from the upper ends thereof so as to be on the same horizontal plane when the bar 3 is in vertical position. Connected in any desired manner with the openings 83 and M are the ropes or similar flexible suspension members and I6 which are suspended from an upper support (not shown). An important feature of this invention, in order to carry out the desired effect and produce the.

desired result, is that the suspension members l5 and I6 are arranged vertically parallel, under normal conditions. When so designed and constructed, the device will produce certain effects,

The device is suspended to a point more or less adjacent the ground so that a child may readily straddle the same and position itself on the seat 2. By grasping the handles Ill and placing the feet on the foot supports or stirrups ,l, the time is in position to operate the device. By pulling rearwardly on the handles in and pushing forwardly on the foot supports I the bar I is rocked on its pivot 4. Such a motion of the bar tends to start the device swinging and this action is unlike any conventional swing. when the device is swung rearwardly, the tendency of the opera toristodrawbackonthebariandthisactlon asvnsse .as willbe -hereinafter and more particularly setforthi.

an outsider to the starting of the movement of thesame.

From the fore oing description of my improved device, the operation thereoLwill be readily undei'stood and it will be seen that I have provided a comparatively simple, inexpensive and eflicient tends to throw the rear of the base or supporting member upwardly to a position as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, although the swing in the position showninFigure 1 has not moved rearwardly. As the swing moves forwardly from its rearward position, the tendency of the operameans for carrying out the various objects of the invention. While I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is apparent that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction, maybe resorted to, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles of-the invention.- What I claimis:

1. A device of the class described comprising a horizontally disposed upporting member having a seat thereon. the forward end of said supporting member being bifurcated, a vertically tor is to allow the bar 3 to return to'its normal uprlght or vertical position and by so doing the is a rocking motion given the seat at the same time the device is swinging, so thatthe child operating same obtains, a more realistic effect of riding a horse, that is, it isfgiven the benefit of a swing and a hobby horse in. one. By push--- support I with the seat 2 thereonwill return tothe horizontal position. In this manner there ing on the bar I so that the upper portion of said bar rocks forwardly of its pivot 4 the operator may slow down or stop the swinging action when the swinging action is forwardly. By pushing on the bar on the rearward swinging action of the device, additional motion may be Obtained. Thus this specific construction permits of simple actuationof the device. I a

In Figure 4 I have illustrated the swinging movement with respect to the center of gravity.

Starting with an imaginary line indicated as the center of gravity, the letter A represents the natural tendency of the device to drift toward said center of gravity. {By pushing forward onthe handles III of the device to a'position as represented in dotted lines in said figure, the movement being indicated by the letter B, acceleration is added to the natural drift toward the center of gravity. Obviously: pulling on the handles will accelerate a forward movement. This pushing and pulling of the bar to accelerate movement backward and forward, respectively, will create healthful exercise for the child operating same. It permits of a continuous, easy motion readily available in both directions without the assistance of a second person:

The formula for this motion may be set forth as follows: push plus drift equals pull plus drift.

Contra motions to .the motions of acceleration, such as pulling instead of pushing and pushing instead of pulling, will promptly impede the motion.

'l'heseat 2 of this device may be made sufficiently large, if desiredto accommodate two children. This is particularly advantag where the devicedoes not req 1*:

disposed operating member. fulcrumed between the furcaticns of said supporting member and projecting a greater distance above the supporting inembenthan below the same, a vertically disposed rear member of stiff material rigidly operating said supporting member and projecting above, the latter a'distance equivalent to the distance projected thereabove by said front memher, a pair of normallyv parallel flexible suspension members having their lower ends connected with the upper ends, respectively, of said operatingmember and said rear member, handle members carried on the operating member and projecting from its opposite sides adjacent the upper end thereof, and foot rests. projecting from oppositesides of the lower end of said operating member.

2. A deviceof the class described comprising a longitudinally extending horizontally disposed supporting bar, a seat thereon spaced from its front and rear ends, the front and rear ends of said supporting bar being vertically bifurcated,

,. an, operating bar disposed vertically and fulcrumed intermediate of its ends between the furcations ofthe front end of said supp rting bar- -to project a greater distance above the latter than projected therebelow, said operating bar havingan opening formed transversely-through i pp r end, a tail piece of stiff material rigidly secured between the furcations of the rear end of said supporting member, saidtail piece projecting above the supporting member a distance equal to the distance said barnormally projects RALPH A. DYER, JR. 

